Leaving Sukhothai

Zinia up at 5:30 and Marty 6am and ready to leave guesthouse at 6:30am. Walk to Sukhothai bus station and catch songtheaw to airport (18TBH each). See the monks pig walking around the streets on the way. Eat our 7/11 breakfast in back of songtheaw on way to airport. Arrive at airport for 8am and check into flight to Bangkok - small and fancy airport that looks like a safari resort (there are zebras and giraffes next to the terminal). Free food at terminal including sticky rice and banana chips. Board plane and depart for Bangkok at 9am (1hr flight) small and empty plane. 2hr layover at Bangkok. Get 1500 Indian rupee from money exchange. 2pm flight from Bangkok to Varanasi (4hr flight). Arrived Varanasi airport and got visa. Sun about to set by the time we got out of the airport so decide to take taxi to town instead of local bus to save time. 500 rupee for taxi and meet Achintya from Deli in taxi who is visiting Varanasi for his cousins wedding. Lovely guy who give us some local tips and helps us get a tuk tuk into central Varanasi (roads are closed from 2km out due to festival). Crazy tuk tuk ride through back alleys to Dashashwamedh Ghat. Walk to Ghat and see the Ganges for the first time and catch aarti then find parallel alley with some guest houses. Find a guest house that looks nice (Babu guest house owned by Santos) and check out the rooms to negotiate a price (double room for 600 rupee ($12). Check in and meet Santos daughter (Joyti) and his wife (Rita) and chat with them for a while before heading back to walk the along the Ganges. Stumble across Brown Bread cafe while walking home and head up to rooftop for dinner. Chat with the guys playing music and other travellers before heading home and into bed around 11pm.Read more